Thursday, May 7, 2009

Whew!

The Pentagon loses its “transformational satellite,” the Education Department is deep-sixing “character education,” America’s “education policy attaché” at UNESCO in Paris will pack his bags and never be replaced, and – here’s where things got a little hairy – the Voice of America will close its Hindi, Croatian, and Greek language broadcast services.

8 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Go, Phil! Of course Radio Marti is a hoax, and its demise is long overdue for anyone who defends the Truth, as you do! What Cuban of sound mind would be inclined to listen to the trash emitted by Radio Marti? After all, Phil, don't you and the Cuban masses hear everything worth listening to from broadcasts based on the latest press releases from the Central Committee?

As for TV Marti, aren't Cubans "voting with their eyes" by refusing to tune in to this reactionary station? And don't even THINK about laughable claims that TV Marti is somehow being "blocked" by the Revolutionary Authorities, eh Phil?

what do you know about TV Marti's audience that you can be so categorical Peters? Cubans who pirate cable signals can get it. What about the elites who have access to cable, they can conceivably watch it. What about TV Marti tapes, they can be circulated and watched on VCRs.

The fact is, NO ONE knows what TV Marti's audience is with any certainty -- and that includes YOU and every other idiot who walks around Havana and asks the "man on the street": "Do you watch TV Marti???"

And, gee, if TV Marti is so lame why does the regime spend so much money trying to block its signal?

Ah, Phil and Leftside together again as ideological soulmates. Who needs any broadcaster except Radio Havana? As Bogey said in Casablanca: "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

Now if we could just extend the the same principle about a pretended right to "freedom of expression" to that CIA-funded agent, Yoani What's-Her-Name. She won't be gaining any weight on the diet we have planned for her in Villa Marista.

The point is that we are in a economic crisis and the country is looking for any way to save pennies. $18 billion of "inefective" programs were just proposed by Obama to be cut. Radio and TV Marti, even if we beleive that they reach some Cubans, has clearly shown to be ineffective in its goals and a waste of taxpayer money. You can add enforcement of the travel ban and the millions that go to Miami hard-liners for chocolates and sweaters in that category too...

If someone really thinks the hundreds of millions that we've spent on Radio/TV Marti have been worth that price tag, then they obviously care little about the nation and care only about their pet issue. If not, I invite you to try to make the case that every penny has been worth it.

The existence of Radio and TV Martin (R&TVM) are part of the package that would be traded with the Cuban government in future negotiations. It also allows the Democrats in Congress to negotiate with R&TVM proponents for their votes. Having said that if I were working in R&TVM, I would not be taking out any big mortgages or loans.

The only strategic reason to keep R&TVM around is to have a direct communication channel to the Cuban population in the event that things go crazy in Cuba. If the US government feels that their new aim is to ensure stability in Cuba through the current Cuban government, R&TVM are no longer necessary.